Paste Shortcut in Excel (Table of Contents)
Paste Shortcut Option in Excel
To paste any value in Excel, first, we need to cut or copy it using the manual process by clicking on the Cut or Copy option located in the Clipboard of the Home menu ribbon and paste it using the short cut key Ctrl + V key together in the desired location. We can also use paste special by short cut keys Alt + H + V + S and then use the navigation key to choose the right option from the Paste Special list or by pressing the first character of the options available in that list.
You can see the Clipboard group of commands in the HOME menu toolbar of excel, which contains copy & paste options. Again, under the paste options, you can observe various types of paste parameters.
You can paste any data type; Data may be numbers, texts, or special characters. In Excel, you have an Excel paste special option of pasting only a certain attribute such as value, format, formula & comment. The attribute of a cell is the formatting, which can be decimal places or preceding dollar signs and in applying cell styles. The format means it can be background color, font color, or borders.
Paste Special offers you a wide range of options; Paste Special is the gateway for many powerful operations, including paste values, which is most commonly used daily. When you copy data from one cell and try to paste it into another, various paste options appear under paste special if you select it. Various paste special options appear once you copy data and press ALT + E + S.
You can use the below-mentioned paste shortcut keys when you copy data from the clipboard or cell along with ALT +H +V + below-mentioned key from A to X for various paste options.
Various paste options appear when you press Alt + H + V, as shown below.
Definition of Paste Shortcut Option in Excel
It is a paste tool that offers a wide range of options to paste only specific elements of the copied cells.
How to Use Various Paste Shortcut Options In Excel
Check out the important paste options in Excel through the examples.
Example #1
How to Paste Values only or How to replace the formulas with calculated values by paste option.
With this option, I can copy formula-driven data and paste only the calculated values in the same or different cells; the procedure to be followed is shown below.
I have a quarterly sales data summary report; multiple subtotal functions are applied.
In cell, D18, D19 & D20, SUBTOTAL function is applied
When you click on cells D18, D19 & D20, you can observe the formula used in the formula bar, i.e., the D18 cell contains a subtotal function; here, I don’t want this to appear; I want the calculated value to appear instead of subtotal function.
And this table containing SUBTOTAL function data cannot be sent to the client as it is (Formula containing in D18, D19 & D20)
Now for these cells, I have to replace these SUBTOTAL functions or formulas to calculate values with a paste special option.
The following steps are shown to replace these formulas with calculated values (paste values Only)
Select the cell containing SUBTOTAL formulas, i.e., D18, D19 & D20, and press Ctrl + C to copy them.
Select the destination cell range where you must copy this entire tabular data.
Now I have two options.
1) Suppose, If I don’t want to keep the formulas, I can select the same data range that I just copied (cells with recipes) and apply paste values in that cell range only
or
2) Select another range where I can copy it and apply paste values.
I will copy the table and paste it into cell H7 using the second option.
Now copy the cells containing only formulas, i.e., J18, J19 & J20
Now I need to replace these formulas with calculated values by pasting option
You can do it in two ways i.e.
1) Press Ctrl + C to copy & ALT + H + V + V to paste values
Or
2) Once you copied a cell containing the formula, press Alt + H + V; below shown, various paste options will appear in the paste dropdown of the clipboard. In that, select V
Now, you can observe the formulas in the cells J18, J19 & J20, replaced with calculated values
Example #2
How to Paste cell comments only from a text cell containing comments
In the example below, I have an employee rating column containing grades and comments associated with cells. Suppose I want to copy only cell comments ignoring the cell values to another cell or the same cell.
Now I need to replace cell M9 containing text with the comment to comments only ignoring text in another cell (“09″ Cell) by paste option.
You can do it in two ways i.e.
1) Press Ctrl + C to copy & ALT + H + V + S + C & Enter key to paste comments only (Paste comments only shortcut key for formula data)
Or
2) Once you copied a cell containing the formula, press Alt + E + S, paste the special dialog box option that appears, in that select comments & press enter key.
Now, you can observe the comment only in the cell “O9.”
Things to Remember about Paste Shortcut Option in Excel
- Sometimes, the Paste Special is not seen in the Home tab, or it will not work. It may be either due to third-party add-ins interfering with paste special or being disabled.
- You can enable it by selecting the excel option and check all the boxes of cut, copy & paste in advance options.
You can download this Paste Shortcut Option Excel Template here –Paste Shortcut Option Excel Template.
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